1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to a pistol and animal figure assembly, and more particularly to an assembly in which the animal figure is that of a dragon who when the pistol is operated then appears to be breathing fire and to be emitting roaring sounds.
2. Status of Prior Art
My above-identified patent application Ser. No. 08/554,259 discloses a water-pistol and stuffed animal figure in which a pistol concealed in the figure is operable to cause water to spit out of the mouth of the figure. The pistol includes a hand grip provided with a trigger, a water reservoir in the form of a cartridge clip insertable in the grip, and a pump which draws water from the reservoir and pumps it into the barrel of the pistol from whose nozzle the water is ejected when the trigger is pulled.
The animal figure which is a replica of a hippopotamus includes a head having an open mouth and a body having an internal cavity which is open at its underside and communicates with the head. The pistol is received within the cavity, its barrel being socketed in the head of the figure and its nozzle aligned with the open mouth whereby when a player grasps the grip with his hand he then appears to be holding the figure, and when he pulls the trigger, water is ejected from the mouth of the figure who then appears to be spitting.
In the present invention, a pistol is concealed in the body of a dragon-like figure, and when the pistol is actuated, the dragon then appears to be breathing fire and at the same time produces roaring sounds, thereby simulating the reputed activity of a real dragon.
A dragon is a mythical creature whose physical characteristics depend on legendary beliefs. For centuries, dragons have existed in the folklore of many peoples, usually being represented as a huge, winged reptile. But in other legends the dragon's physical form is a combination of various animals. However, common to all legendary dragons is that these beasts breathe fire and emit frightful roaring sounds.
There exists a certain ambivalence about the moral character of a dragon, for while in many legends the dragon is an evil creature and an agent of Satan, in others the dragon is a guardian of treasure and a protector of innocent maidens. And in China the dragon is associated with fertility and prosperity. No Chinese New Year celebration parade is complete unless accompanied by a simulated dragon.
While our modern age is perhaps more sophisticated than the medieval period when the status of a hero was determined by his ability to slay an evil dragon, children today remain fascinated with dragons and often play with toy replicas of this mythical beast.
But what these toy replicas lack is a true simulation of a fire breathing and roaring dragon; hence the child has a sense of inadequacy. To give a simple analogy, a baby doll whose eyes are fixedly socketed in the head of the doll is not nearly as pleasing to a child as a doll whose eyes shift realistically as the doll is manipulated. Even more pleasing to a child is a baby doll which can be bottle fed and is capable of urinating.
Inasmuch as a toy dragon figure in accordance with the invention has incorporated therein a pistol which when operated causes the dragon to appear to be emitting fire-like light flashes and to at the same time produce roaring sounds, of prior art interest is the Marx U.S. Pat. No. 2,055,847. This patent discloses a toy weapon that includes sparking and siren mechanisms which when the trigger is pulled, emits sparks from the muzzle of the weapon and at the same time generates a siren sound.
Of further prior art interest is the Kuo U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,336 which discloses a pistol that, when actuated, emits flashes of light as well as loud sounds. Also producing light flashes and loud sounds is the gun disclosed in the Kuo U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,150, the sounds being stored in an integrated circuit chip.
In the toy machine gun disclosed in the Palmer U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,176, the gun which includes a phonograph record, an amplifier and a loud speaker, produces the actual sound of machine gun fire synchronized with light flashes from a bulb to simulate real fire.
As pointed out in my above-identified copending applications, though toy pistols are popular with children, because many of them have the appearance of real weapons, they are now in public disfavor and in some states they are banned. In the present invention, the toy pistol is concealed in a dragon figure and therefore its actual appearance is of no consequence.